Pattern of changes in liver enzymes SGPT, SGOT level during Dengue infection in hospitalized pediatrics patients in tertiary care centre

Abstract

Background: Hepatic involvement is not an uncommon in dengue viral infection, which presents with elevation in serum aminotransferases due to reactive hepatitis. The study is aimed to know the pattern of changes in hepatic enzyme levels in dengue infection in pediatric patients and to assess it with clinical presentation of dengue in particularly patients without and with shock.Methods: Pediatric patients with serologically confirmed Dengue viral infection were enrolled in the study and divided clinically into a shock group and a non-shock group. SGPT and SGOT levels were measured from day one of fever onset till 7 days and within 3 days after shock in the shock group. Student t-test was used to analyze the statistical data.Results: 100 patients with a mean age of 8±2.6 years were included in the study. The incidence of abnormal SGOT and SGPT levels were 96.9% and 51.1% in the shock group, and 92.2% and 45% in the non-shock group respectively. 30% and 17.9% of the patients in shock group and only 9.9% and 4.2% in non-shock group had the respective SGOT and SGPT levels > 200 U/L. Patients in shock group had statistically higher levels of Serum aminotransferase compared to the non-shock group. SGOT tended to increase starting from one day before shock and continued to increase within a few days whereas SGPT was less likely to be affected.Conclusions: Pediatric patients with Dengue infection have raised Aminotransferases in particular SGOT, which is higher than SGPT level. Aminotransferase levels in shock patients are significantly high and increases up to 3 days.